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I know that the south side of mountains receives the most sunlight (northern hemisphere only?) But I have never heard much about ants building specifically on the south sides. It seems somewhat logical though.
Not kill your self in the woods!
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I know that the south side of mountains receives the most sunlight (northern hemisphere only?) But I have never heard much about ants building specifically on the south sides. It seems somewhat logical though.
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Not to sound confrontational or anything, but I think I'll just trust the words of a botanist who has been working up here for over 30 years...
Sounds good. I'll listen to the First Nations people who have used this technique successfully for over 1000 yrs. 
Not trying to argue. I know it isn't a perfect science, but it's one more tool in your arsenal. I have personally tried it dozens of times, and confirmed with a compass. It isn't as simple as looking at one tree and off you go. Most of the time, that one tree is right, but it only makes sense to look around.
Since moss doesn't grow well in the sunlight, you have to make sure the trees you're looking at have a clear line of sight to the sky. Bushes and shadows make it difficult. You're looking for mass. If you're in heavy bush, there will be moss all around, but it will have more mass on the north side that gets no direct sunlight. It's a game of averages, not a one-look, tell-tale hard, fast rule.
Dougo83, if you live in Hippie haven, which I assume is somewhere in BC, I would imagine the moss thing won't have a chance in the dense rain forest there. There's no way the trees would get enough direct sunlight at their base for this technique to work. In sparse boreal forest, or Canadian Shield you'd have better results.
Don't worry about being confrontational. I don't take it that way on the internet. Even when I think I know something, I'm always open to the opinions of folks with experience.
Not trying to argue. I know it isn't a perfect science, but it's one more tool in your arsenal. I have personally tried it dozens of times, and confirmed with a compass. It isn't as simple as looking at one tree and off you go. Most of the time, that one tree is right, but it only makes sense to look around.
Since moss doesn't grow well in the sunlight, you have to make sure the trees you're looking at have a clear line of sight to the sky. Bushes and shadows make it difficult. You're looking for mass. If you're in heavy bush, there will be moss all around, but it will have more mass on the north side that gets no direct sunlight. It's a game of averages, not a one-look, tell-tale hard, fast rule.
Dougo83, if you live in Hippie haven, which I assume is somewhere in BC, I would imagine the moss thing won't have a chance in the dense rain forest there. There's no way the trees would get enough direct sunlight at their base for this technique to work. In sparse boreal forest, or Canadian Shield you'd have better results.
Don't worry about being confrontational. I don't take it that way on the internet. Even when I think I know something, I'm always open to the opinions of folks with experience.
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Sounds good. I'll listen to the First Nations people who have used this technique successfully for over 1000 yrs.
Not trying to argue. I know it isn't a perfect science, but it's one more tool in your arsenal. I have personally tried it dozens of times, and confirmed with a compass. It isn't as simple as looking at one tree and off you go. Most of the time, that one tree is right, but it only makes sense to look around.
Since moss doesn't grow well in the sunlight, you have to make sure the trees you're looking at have a clear line of sight to the sky. Bushes and shadows make it difficult. You're looking for mass. If you're in heavy bush, there will be moss all around, but it will have more mass on the north side that gets no direct sunlight. It's a game of averages, not a one-look, tell-tale hard, fast rule.
Dougo83, if you live in Hippie haven, which I assume is somewhere in BC, I would imagine the moss thing won't have a chance in the dense rain forest there. There's no way the trees would get enough direct sunlight at their base for this technique to work. In sparse boreal forest, or Canadian Shield you'd have better results.
Don't worry about being confrontational. I don't take it that way on the internet. Even when I think I know something, I'm always open to the opinions of folks with experience.
Nah..I live in Austin, TX. The home of the disgusting hippie.
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Oh, THOSE Hippies.
Yea...they suck...but at least they have made it possible to have some pretty sweet trails around. I can go less than an hour in nearly any direction an go hiking. Pretty nice.
As far as moss, it is a moderately ok "science." I have found a very slight accuracy that, if I was to guess, is only around 30%. I know it, but sure don't rely on it. OTOH, I did have a compass that was oriented 180 out...